The cherry season might be in the summer, but you can enjoy these soft, pillowy White Chocolate Cherry Cookies year-round because my recipe uses dried cherries. And thank goodness for that because these delicious cookies disappear quickly in my house. They are simply irresistible!
My White Chocolate Cherry Cookies are packed with flavor. Every bite has the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness with a soft, chewy texture.
And yes, these are Snickerdoodle cookies. So if you love Snickerdoodle cookies, you are in for a treat (no pun intended).
What are White Chocolate Cherry (Snickerdoodle) Cookies?
White Chocolate Cherry Cookies are a soft and chewy snickerdoodle. But wait… You might be wondering, how is this a Snickerdoodle cookie? A Snickerdoodle is a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Well, that is not entirely true. A snickerdoodle has one key ingredient – the cream of tartar. Cream of tartar gives Snickerdoodle that distinct tangy flavor and soft pillowy texture.
That is why my soft and chewy White Chocolate Cherry Cookies are Snickerdoodle. Cream of tartar is my “secret” ingredient. It adds more tanginess to the cherries, but more importantly, it helps make the perfect cookie texture.
Snickerdoodle cookies are also baked just until the edges turn golden brown and the insides are puffy. As the cookies cool, the leavening power in cream of tartar prevents sugar crystals from forming to create a soft but chewy texture.
Therefore, my White Chocolate Cherry Cookie recipe is a snickerdoodle with extra sweetness and tanginess from the white chocolate and cherries.
Enjoying White Chocolate Cherry Cookies on the Hood River Fruit Loop
My White Chocolate Cherry Cookies are inspired by our trip to Hood River, Oregon. We enjoyed a day trip from Portland to explore the best stops on the Hood River Fruit Loop. The Hood River Fruit Loop is a 35-mile scenic drive and rural farm experience that includes over 28 stops of wineries, breweries, ciders, distilleries, u-pick fruit orchards, lavender farms, fruit farm stands, bakeries, and more.
The scenic drive has rolling hills, snow-capped peaks of Mount Hood and Mount Adams, and rows of fruit trees everywhere. One of the fruits most known in the Hood River Fruit Loop is cherries.
Read next: The Best Stops on the Hood River Fruit Loop
In the summer, rows of cherry trees are ready to be picked. We picked a basket of them at Mt. View Orchards and enjoyed as many fresh cherry pastries as possible.
One of the cherry treats we enjoyed was a soft White Chocolate Cherry Cookie from Packer Orchards. Packer Orchards is known for using its sweet orchard pears for homemade jams and baked pastries. The pears help reduce and, in some cases, eliminate the need for added sugar.
Although I do not use pears as a natural sweetener in my recipe, it resembles the same soft and delicious cookie from Packer Orchards.
List of Ingredients for White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
In addition to the white chocolate chips and dried cherries, one of the key ingredients is the cream of tartar. Do not omit the cream of tartar. If needed, here are some equivalent substitutions. Please note these substitutions will work for this recipe because it includes baking soda.
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice equals 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar – the best alternative
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar equals 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder equals 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
Otherwise, like most cookie recipes, most of the ingredients can be commonly found in a kitchen.
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- White chocolate chips
- Dried cherries
How to Make White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
My White Chocolate Cherry Cookies is a straightforward recipe. Yes, the cookie dough calls for chill time, but if you need to skip this step, the cookies will still turn out great!
This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.
Beat the butter and sugar – together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand-held mixer) until it’s creamy.
Add the vanilla extract and eggs – until combined.
Add dry ingredients – in a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Then slowly add it into the mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
Add white chocolate chips and dried cherries – fold them into the dough. Do not over mix.
Chill cookie dough – cover the cookie dough and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Remove cookie dough from the fridge.
Preheat the oven – to 350°F. Lightly grease your baking sheets.
Scoop the dough – using a large cookie scoop. If you do not have a large cookie scoop, it is 3 tablespoons per scoop. Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake cookies – for 10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Eat and enjoy!
Tips and Tidbits
Here are a few tips and tidbits to help you make the perfect White Chocolate Cherry Cookies.
Can I Use Fresh Cherries?
Yes, you can! Fresh cherries will have a great burst of juiciness and flavor. I just prefer dried cherries because they have an intense flavor and can taste sweeter and more tart than fresh cherries.
Why Do You Need to Chill Cookie Dough?
If you bake cookies immediately after making the dough, the cookies will likely be thin and crunchy. Chilling cookie dough helps solidify the fat in the cookies so it does not spread too much during the baking process.
It also helps concentrate the flavors. And lastly, it results in a more golden brown color. Chilling the dough results in a perfectly shaped cookie with a soft texture and delicious taste.
If you do not have time to chill the dough, it’s okay. These cookies do not spread too much at room temperature.
How to Keep Baked Cookies Soft and Chewy
My husband taught me this trick, and it’s the best thing he has ever taught me. Place a slice of bread in the container with your cookies to keep them tasting like they are fresh out of the oven.
The bread creates a humidity level inside the container that slows down the moisture loss from the cookies. Thus providing extra moisture to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
Once the bread dries out, add a new slice of bread.
More American Dessert Recipes
- The Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake
- Caramel Apple Walnut Pie with a Streusel Topping
- Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake – A Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipe
White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
These White Chocolate Cherry Cookies are a soft snickerdoodle recipe that are perfectly sweet and tart. A fan favorite among friends and family.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand-held mixer), beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until it's creamy. About 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and one egg at a time. Continue to beat the mixture until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. I like to add half at a time and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after a few seconds of mixing.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped dried cherries. Do not overmix.
- Cover the cookie dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
- Remove cookie dough from the fridge. If the cookie dough has chilled for a few hours, let it sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes to soften just enough to scoop.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease your baking sheets.
- Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop. If you do not have a medium cookie scoop, it is 3 tablespoons per scoop. Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Chilling the cookie dough helps concentrate the flavor and solidifies the fat in the cookies so it does not spread too much during baking. If you do not have time to chill the dough, it's okay. These cookies do not spread too much at room temperature.
Change the recipe by substituting some or all white chocolate chips for dark or milk chocolate chips. You can also replace the dried cherries with dried cranberries, dried blueberries, etc.
Keep the cookies soft and chewy by adding a slice of bread in the container. The bread creates a humidity level inside a container that slows down the moisture loss from the cookies. Thus, it provides extra moisture to keep the cookies soft and chewy. Once the bread dries out, add a new slice of bread.
